Berlinda

By J. Albert Anderson

Berlinda is a fantasy novel that begins at the Festival Games, a time of celebration when those of the human kingdom come together after the harvest to compete for coveted positions within King Loric's guard. When Berlinda's sisters purchase a dagger for her from one of the vendors, they are unaware that it is one of four ancient talismans that were created by the elves for the destruction of the dark angel. As the human kingdom is beset by the minions of Malgor, the fallen dark angel, Berlinda and members of Loric's guard work to protect the people of the realm by gathering them into the safety of the kingdom grounds. One of her companions is injured and must be left behind, but before doing so, he presents his great sword, Vanquor, into her care. Berlinda just shook her head as Gunnar handed her the sword. She felt inadequate for whatever it was she was supposed to accomplish in the future, for the unknown deeds yet to be accomplished. Doubts mixed with confusion weighed upon her thoughts like an anchor as Ronnie put his arm around her shoulder to assure her of the rightness behind her possessing Vanquor. For reasons beyond her comprehension, she unsheathed the great sword and the dagger on her belt, inspecting the ancient runes on the magnificent weapons forged many ages before her birth. The magical blades somehow sensed her confusion and responded in their own way to encourage the seemingly frail girl from an obscure corner of the realm. The runes in the hilts of both sword and dagger pulsed to life, the dagger's a radiant blue, that of Vanquor a brilliant red. She held the weapons aloft as the powers combined into an effulgent white light that shot into the clouds and expanded to light the entire sky. The power pulsed with a rhythm that none could understand, save for the long-dead forgers of the blades and the Holy One Himself. The people in the streets of Whispering Pines trembled at the sight, many lying prone on the ground with their faces in the dirt. Berlinda herself looked with awe upon the spectacle as the light itself proclaimed to the entire world that a powerful force existed in the realm, Omnen's promised instrument of destruction to counter the evil that now walked the face of the land. She watched for several moments until the power finally faded, leaving only the runes of the weapons glowing as the only evidence of the sign that had been given.The elves of the northern lands had been waiting for generations for the Bearer of the Talismans, the Holy One's promised deliverer from the curse of the dark angel. The bearer's sign had appeared in the sky and the Holy One's words echoed within their memories:"Despair not, ye fair folk, of the perfidy visited upon thee by the evil one. For your redemption is nigh when all shall see the lights of the talismans brightening yon heavens. Go ye, therefore, into the world again, to seeketh the bearer of the talismans, for the hand of the Creator resteth upon such a one, and with thy aid shall the bearer bringeth down the evil one and the shadow that resteth upon the world. So too, shall the curse of the dark one be broken for all time."The incident is only the beginning of events where Berlinda finds herself caught up as the key player who is destined to destroy the dark angel. Though she considers herself to be a simple kingdom maiden, she is the Child of Prophecy to the white dragon named Justice, the Bearer of the Talismans to the elves, the Wielder of Bright Steel to the Petralaq, and the Harbinger of Death to Malgor, the dark angel himself. Berlinda must obtain all four talismans and will have to learn to wield the Power of the Creator if she is to survive the encounter with the dark angel and to fulfill her destiny as the Child of Prophecy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1983001236
• ISBN13: 9781983001239
• Release Date: May 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 594 Pages
• Weight: 2.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.5" x 6.0"